Partnerships for Social Inclusion and Equity: Unlocking Potential Through Opportunity
6 November 2026 9 min read
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Partnerships for Social Inclusion and Equity: Unlocking Potential Through Opportunity
By Paduma Subasinghe
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, DFCC Bank
Across the world, organisations are grappling with a common challenge: how do we create economic growth that is both sustainable and inclusive?
Policies, programmes and commitments are important, but I believe the answer begins with equitable access to opportunity. When individuals are given the opportunity to participate, contribute and succeed, the benefits extend far beyond the individual. Businesses become stronger, economies become more resilient and societies become more inclusive.
I recently had the opportunity to speak at the 49th Annual Meetings of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP), during a session on “Partnerships for Social Inclusion and Equity”. The discussion considered how women, young people, rural communities, persons with disabilities and other underserved groups could participate more fully in economic life.
One message resonated strongly throughout the discussion: social inclusion should not be viewed as a separate agenda operating alongside business priorities. It must be embedded in how we think about talent, employment, skills development and economic participation. When we unlock opportunities for more people, inclusion becomes a driver of growth rather than simply an aspiration.
Employment as a foundation for inclusion
In my experience as a human resources leader, one of the most sustainable forms of social inclusion is meaningful employment. It provides more than an income. It can bring financial independence, dignity, purpose and the confidence to plan for the future.
This is particularly important for young people entering the workforce, individuals from underserved communities, women seeking greater economic participation and persons with disabilities looking for equitable opportunities to contribute their talents.
Sri Lanka has made significant investments in education, but the transition from education to employment remains uncertain for many young people. In 2024, 173,444 students qualified for admission to state universities, while 43,204 were admitted, according to the University Grants Commission. Many of those who were not admitted will have pursued private education, vocational training, overseas study or employment. Even so, the figures illustrate the scale of the population requiring credible pathways between school and productive work.
The question is not simply whether employment exists. It is whether people have the skills, access and support required to enter employment and continue progressing once they do.
Moving from diversity to equity
Creating opportunity requires us to move beyond diversity alone and focus on equity.
Diversity is about representation. Inclusion ensures that people can participate and that their voices are heard. Belonging is created when people feel valued, respected and connected to the organisation around them.
One of the greatest barriers to achieving this is unconscious bias. Such biases can influence how we assess talent, make hiring decisions, allocate opportunities and identify future leaders. Unless organisations address them deliberately, even well-intentioned diversity initiatives may fall short of producing meaningful outcomes.
Recruitment is only the beginning. Employees must also have access to significant assignments, professional development, fair evaluation and credible pathways into positions of greater responsibility. An organisation may succeed in bringing people through the door while still limiting how far they can progress.
True inclusion should therefore be measured not only by who enters the workforce, but also by who develops new skills, earns more over time, moves into leadership and gains greater control over their economic future.
Closing the distance between education and employability
Another significant challenge facing Sri Lanka is employability.
Employers frequently tell us that jobs exist and talent exists, yet a gap remains between the skills available and the capabilities required. The challenge is not merely about education. It is about ensuring that people are equipped to work, adapt and progress in an environment being reshaped by technology, new business models and changing customer expectations.
Sri Lanka’s state universities produced 33,290 first-degree graduates in 2024, approximately 70% of whom were women, according to University Grants Commission statistics. A Ministry of Education study covering graduates from several state universities reported overall graduate employability of 69.1%, with considerable variation between institutions and fields of study. The study was not a complete national census, but its findings reinforce the need for better graduate-tracer information and closer alignment between education and the world of work.
Bridging this gap requires stronger partnerships among employers, educational institutions, policymakers and training providers. Employers can contribute through internships, apprenticeships and structured entry routes. Educational institutions and training providers can respond more closely to changing occupational needs. Shorter, modular qualifications can also help people continue learning while they work.
No single organisation can solve this challenge alone. Progress depends on building clearer pathways between learning, employment and professional advancement.
Women’s economic participation
Women’s economic participation is another area requiring sustained attention. The conversation should not centre on capability, but on opportunity and the conditions that allow people to use their capabilities fully.
In 2025, women’s labour-force participation in Sri Lanka stood at 32.4%, compared with 69.1% for men, according to the Department of Census and Statistics. Among people with GCE Advanced Level qualifications or above, unemployment stood at 8.3% for women and 3.9% for men.
These figures relate to different parts of the labour market and should be interpreted carefully. Together with the high proportion of women among university graduates, however, they point to a capability that the economy is not yet using fully.
Many talented women continue to face practical barriers that limit their participation and progression. Organisations have an important role in creating environments that allow employees to balance professional responsibilities with personal and family commitments.
Fair and equitable pay, flexible working arrangements, supportive workplace policies, return-to-work pathways and inclusive leadership practices can help women participate fully and advance in their careers. These measures should not be viewed as concessions. They enable organisations to retain knowledge, broaden their leadership pipelines and benefit from a wider range of experience and perspective.
When organisations create these conditions, everyone benefits.
Access for persons with disabilities
The same principle applies to persons with disabilities. The goal is not sympathy, but access.
Exclusion can begin long before a hiring decision is made. An inaccessible application process, an unsuitable assessment, a workplace that cannot be navigated or an assumption about what a person can do may prevent capable candidates from being considered.
Inclusive recruitment practices, accessible workplaces, reasonable adjustments and enabling technologies can remove these barriers. Managers must also be equipped to assess ability fairly and focus on what individuals can contribute.
Every person deserves the opportunity to participate meaningfully. Organisations that embrace this approach gain access to a wider pool of talent, perspectives and innovation.
Progression across the wider economy
The need to connect employment with skills and progression is not limited to offices or graduate careers.
Apparel, tea and overseas employment remain central to Sri Lanka’s economy. In 2025, apparel exports earned approximately US$4.9 billion, tea exports generated around US$1.5 billion and workers’ remittances exceeded US$8 billion. These are different economic measures and are not directly comparable. They nevertheless demonstrate how strongly the country depends on the knowledge, labour and commitment of people working across these sectors.
The next stage of development should create broader pathways into technical, supervisory, managerial, professional and entrepreneurial roles.
Sri Lanka’s apparel sector has already developed capabilities in design, product development, technology, sustainability, logistics and supply-chain management. The opportunity is to make such pathways available to more employees through recognised qualifications and structured professional development.
The tea industry can similarly expand opportunities in processing, quality assurance, product development, technology, management, entrepreneurship and ownership.
Sri Lankans working overseas make an equally important contribution. Better preparation before departure, portable qualifications, stronger worker protection and practical support upon their return can help convert overseas employment into lasting economic progress for individuals, families and communities.
This does not diminish the value of any occupation. It recognises that access to employment should ideally become the beginning of a longer journey of learning, progression and greater economic independence.
Partnerships that turn intention into outcomes
Social inclusion is not the responsibility of governments, businesses or civil society alone. It requires partnerships across sectors.
Employers, educators, policymakers, financial institutions, training providers and communities each hold part of the solution. Partnerships become valuable when they connect the pathway from education to employability, from employability to employment and from employment to advancement.
Financial institutions also have a role. Finance can help an employee pursue a professional qualification, enable a returning migrant worker to establish a business, support a smallholder moving into higher-value activity or help an entrepreneur create employment within a community.
Lasting change occurs when opportunity is supported by the skills, finance, policies and institutional relationships people need to use it well.
As we look to the future, social inclusion should be understood neither as a charity agenda nor as a compliance exercise. It is an economic agenda, a talent agenda and a growth agenda.
The organisations and nations that thrive will be those that unlock the potential of individuals regardless of gender, age, disability, geography or social background. Inclusion is not about helping a select few. It is about ensuring that people have a fair opportunity to participate, contribute, progress and succeed.
Partnerships may provide the vehicle, but equitable access to opportunity must remain the destination.
References
1.Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, 49th Annual Meetings Programme and Session Information.
2.University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka University Statistics 2024.
3.Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka, Labour Force Survey Annual Bulletin 2025.
4.Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka, Progress Report 2024, graduate employability findings.
5.Sri Lanka Export Development Board, export performance data and apparel-sector information for 2025.
6.Central Bank of Sri Lanka, workers’ remittance data for 2025.
7.International Labour Organization, research on the future of work and livelihoods in Sri Lanka’s tea sector.
8.Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, Annual Statistical Report 2025.
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